


Here to Win

by PolarGrizz47



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games), Titanfall (Video Games)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Other, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 17:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17708945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarGrizz47/pseuds/PolarGrizz47
Summary: A shoulder shrugged and they looked at Nox carefully from under the brim of their hat, picking through the man as if they were scavenging the scientist for parts, just like the crow did during their hunts. "I thought you were here to win."





	Here to Win

**Author's Note:**

> This game is hard, but really fun so far! Figured I'd try my hand at writing some of the characters. At the beginning of the game, in training grounds, Bloodhound introduces themself as Bloth. I'm using that name here!

The Bloodhound wasn't easy to find. They often stuck to the underbrush, relying on their bird and their gifts to guide their shots and their blades. Nox wasn't used to it, the hide and seek game with danger - since he tended to mercilessly march towards danger with a wheezing sort of laugh.

Currently, the round was going splendidly. Bloodhound had sniped two people, one after the other, dropping them like the cards they often betted off-duty. Lifeline kept them standing with her D.O.C., laying down cover fire to keep the pressure on the other squads. One by one, squads fell to their brutal hands.

Soon enough, it was only three squads left. He was feeling quite confident as Bloodhound pinged the location of new hostiles, the crow circling overhead and giving a lonesome, yearning caw.

Hurling a gas grenade into the distance, the crazed scientist laughed wildly as he heard other Legends cough and watched them flail. Nox could feel the creeping sensation of unrelenting glee consuming him.

New experiments to toy with, new subjects to test his gas against. He liked the way they squirmed and crawled, wheezing for air as the noxious fumes choked out any and all pure oxygen around them. While he double checked his cannister amounts, Bloodhound was creeping ahead, crouched so low into the shadows that Nox almost didn't see them.

Lifeline was right behind Caustic, the SMG she held was bright green and pulsing, reminding him of his own gas. Smugly, he strode down the sand dunes and towards the buildings where the other squad had taken cover. "Game's almost over... won't be long now, we all die, one way or another," He chuckled, voice muffled and distorted by the gas mask.

"Don't start celebrating yet," The young woman scolded, crouching by a recently looted chest while peering into the makeshift town, riddled with bullet holes and the leftover chests of fallen squadmates. A ghost town, still haunted by its coffins.

The crow called out overhead and Bloodhound pinged two squadmates crouched in the upper levels of the main building. Nox chuckled into his mic, "They're down one?"

"It would appear so," The hunter answered, their voice stern and slightly pitying. "This encounter does not favor them."

"Let's not get cocky, they've lasted this long - just like us," Ajay urged, giving Nox a tap on the shoulder as she motioned towards the stairs. "You take the left, I'll take the right. Could you cover us --"

"You have my word," Bloth responded instantly, perching themselves on top of the hill. Nestled between a tree and a boulder, they seemed quite at home with the sniper in their hands and the scope pressed to their mask, ready to line up any shot and end the game that much quicker.

-:-

Stepping through the gas, Nox grinned as he watched Mirage claw at his throat and seize, kicking out valiantly before the scientist put an end to his extravagant display. "Not this time, nor the next," He purred, stepping away from the other man and shaking out his now bloodied fist once the deed was done. "Lifeline, how're you looking?"

There was a pause in the radio and Nox quickly was making his way to where they had split up in the pursuit of their own prey, but then Ajay's voice filled the line, panting but thrilled, "She's down!"

"And then there were two..." Nox glanced at the map and huffed, "The ring closes in three minutes --"

A burst of gunfire echoed outside, followed by a single sniper shot before Bloodhound's voice frantically patched through, "Got one -- but I'm hit --"

"Fall back!" Lifeline ordered, "Get to cover, I'll send D.O.C. your way!"

Caustic growled in irritation as he prowled around to the back of the building, watching his teammates movements and hoping to reunite with them sooner than later. He much preferred getting the drop on his subjects, but he was no stranger to adversity in these bloody trials. The people wanted a show? He'd give them a show, even if his back was against a wall and his team was scattered.

-:-

Nox did not mix business with pleasure. It was risky to grow attached to anyone, for any reason, especially in the trials. Ajay cared _too_ much, too deeply, often commenting about the senseless violence - but she needed the money for her organization. He needed the money to fund his improvements in toxic chemicals, and Bloodhound needed the money for whatever reason they so desired.

Even if Caustic knew them better than most, he still knew only a sliver of the person that hid behind the mask.

He knew that they preferred to drink in solitude, or not at all. They liked to watch from afar, perched in the high ground or laying low in the shadows. They enjoyed tracking big game and slaughtering their kills honorably, often pausing to thank their 'All Father' for the meal or the victory.

He also knew that the name they'd given him - Bloth - was fake. It all tied into their persona, Bloodhound.

Nox wasn't bothered by it. Legends often lied to each other, even when they were getting to know each other outside of the games. Swindlers, heroes, medics, hunters, super-stars -- each held a variety of secrets close to their chests.

Bloodhound was no different. They just held more secrets, and it only urged Nox closer, wanting to pick apart their past and dissect the hunter behind the mask.

Caustic reminded himself of the difference between pleasure and business as he crouched behind the wall, pinned down between the two wounded enemies by the stairs and the hallway. He calmly exchanged the shotgun for an LMG, even if his gloves were slick and slippery with blood - his own blood - and watched his surroundings sharply.

It was too risky to pull out the medical syringe Ajay had gifted him earlier and he was forced to suffer from the slow, dizzying loss of blood.

In a blink, Nox heard the crow's call nearby and gritted his teeth. Breathing harshly into his mic, he warned, "Not worth it -- move to the inner ring, I can handle this."

"Negative. We need to stick together, three warriors have better odds than two," Bloodhound sounded amused by the scientist's show of stubborn pride and Nox scowled briefly.

"Then you best get your asses over here."

"Already en route," Ajay cheerfully pinged her location, quickly closing in towards the stairs. "Bloodhound - can you get the guy in the hall?"

They didn't answer, but Nox leaned over the railing to rain fire down upon their foe as Lifeline burst into the door and also pumped them full of lead. Pathfinder twitched with an explosion of sparks before slumping to the ground, slouched pathetically until Ajay finished the kill off quickly. Wheezing out a laugh, Caustic turned his attention to the hallway.

A burst of gunfire echoed from within it, followed by the familiar sounds of Wraith's void whispers and Nox cursed as the hallway window shattered. Bloodhound gave a muffled grunt in their channel, followed by a pained gasp that cut off quickly. Lifeline was already halfway up the stairs, a medical syringe in hand, but Caustic pushed himself to his feet and sprinted towards the sound of the fighting.

"Oi! Wait!" Ajay shouted and then cursed sharply once she realized what he was doing. "You're going to get us all killed!"

Standing in the empty hallway, Nox quickly noticed the broken window and the splatter of blood against the wall. Standing in the crunch of glass, he looked down at the scene before him, playing out down below in the sands.

Wraith had Bloodhound on the ground, the two of them wrestling for a pistol that lies just out of Bloth's reach. They grunted in pain, blood clumping the sands below them as the two struggled. Slowly, Wraith was channeling her Void-touched powers once more, her hands sparkling with blue and purple.

Nox knew that he had to act fast if Bloodhound was going to be walking from this game in one piece.

With gas grenade in hand, Caustic lunged from the height and dropped the canister at his feet. It exploded into a plume of toxic green wisps, briefly encasing Bloodhound and Wraith into its smoggy haze. Quickly, he could see Wraith move for the gun and Bloth roll to the side, protecting their face while they bucked her off of them.

She was coughing and snarling like a wild beast, unwilling to be put down just yet. Wraith rounded upon him, blue eyes glowing through the green fog as she took aim at his wounded, vulnerable form. Caustic lifted his rifle and the two fired simultaneously, but he fell to a knee quickly, unable to take the abuse of the bullets when he was already so close to his death.

While his vision swam in and out, he watched her reload and ready herself to put him down - but before she could straighten her arms out and aim properly, Bloth rose from the fading gas with a blade in hand. As the crow gave a mourning call above them, they lunged, plunging the knife into Wraith's throat.

She tensed, blood pouring against her pale skin as she clawed at their arm. Bloodhound slowly lowered her to the ground and stepped back as she thrashed and gasped, slowly stilling as blood puddled the sand below her. With a cough, they crouched by her body and placed her weapon atop her chest, bowing their head briefly to mutter thanks for the victory before promptly slouching over themself, exhausted.

Lifeline jumped down between them, quickly deploying the drone and cursing them both out for their reckless behavior. Caustic only grinned at her, breathing in heavily as the victory procession sounded off throughout the empty arena.

Across from him, Nox could feel Bloodhound's eyes on him. He glanced towards them, and the duo shared a moment of silence. Then, they nodded slightly, just a simple tip of the chin, the hooks embedded in their hat rattling about.

It held more meaning than words ever could.

-:-

"I figured I'd find you here," They said quietly while stalking through the busy bar. Caustic looked up with a beer raised in greeting, surprised to see Bloodhound in such a public place. The last time they had met, it had been on Bloth's terms, in the wilderness.

Nox motioned them closer, patting at the table top. "Have a seat, friend. What brings you out of the wilds today?"

Bloth sat across from him, hands carefully clasped and the familiar crow perched peacefully on their shoulder. They were both too quiet, almost as if they were carved more from a dream than reality.

For a long moment, nobody moved. Nox watched the other closely, wondering if Bloodhound had finally considered him a liability and was going to try and kill him, right here, with a blade shoved into his neck and Caustic's blood on their hands.

For a brief, unsettling moment, he felt more like the _subject_ than the doctor.

Then, Bloth bowed their head and opened their hands flat, a show of peaceful resolution. "I came to thank you, for helping with Wraith. She is stronger than the others give her credit for." Their voice quieted some, "She is hurting, too..."

"Ah, don't start thinking like Ajay now, Bloth," Nox warned, waving a gloved finger at the hunter. "We're here to fight. To win. Remember?"

They chuckled, lifting their hand up to scratch at the crow's underbelly. The gorgeous bird fluffed its feathers and gave a grave caw, pecking fondly at Bloodhound's fingers. "I thought you were here to study, Alexander."

"Perhaps... One day you might find yourself trapped in the fumes, and your mask will not save you when you are not on my side," Caustic slowly set aside the beer, mostly gone now, and pawed towards the end of the table to grab the cards that had been abandoned here by the previous occupants. Bloodhound watches his movements slowly, the crow's beady eyes fixated on Nox's hands as he shuffled the digital deck.

Bloth took the cards they were dealt and fondly hummed, tilting their head to the side with smugness in their voice. "Do not worry, I won't go easy on you, should we ever meet on opposite teams. The blade cuts through all, friends and foes alike."

Caustic threw down the first card, a three, and scowled. Slowly, he rubbed a hand at his chin, scratching at his beard. An eyebrow raised in Bloodhound's direction. "You consider us friends?"

They gave a brief huff of amusement while they flipped through their own cards. Then, Nox paused when he felt their foot settle gently over his own larger one. "Perhaps," Bloth mused, the toe of their boot slowly worming against the rubber of Caustic's boots. "Perhaps not."

"All's fair in love and war, hm?" Alexander intoned, watching as Bloth threw down their first card - the ace of hearts - and looked directly at him. Through the faded tint of the mask's glass, Caustic swore that he saw those dark, curious eyes narrow.

The crow tilted its head as if it was examining Bloodhound's hand. Then, Bloth leaned back, their foot still comfortably pressed onto Caustic's, and let out the quietest of laughs. "Aiming for the heart results in a quicker kill."

Alexander tapped at his jawline, studying Bloth's posture and finding it to be quite welcoming, teasing almost. "Where's the fun in that?"

Bloodhound shuffled through their hand of cards, waiting for Caustic to set down another one. A shoulder shrugged and they looked at Nox carefully from under the brim of their hat, picking through the man as if they were scavenging the scientist for parts, just like the crow did during their hunts. "I thought you were here to win."

"I am," Caustic grinned, leaning forwards as Bloth pressed their shoe higher against his leg, softly pulling Nox's leg closer when the toe of their boot nudged around his calf. "But... I'm also here to study."

"Then we may have much to discuss..." Bloth's voice faded into a whisper, their foot trailing higher, past Nox's knee. Caustic figured that they must've loved the way it was making him shift subtly, squirming like an insect under a microscope.

As he mulled over that, he realized that he quite liked it, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, aren't they just dancing around the bush...
> 
> Had fun writing this, hope you enjoyed the little read!


End file.
